Lavender Brown's Requiem
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: Set many years after DH, Lavender has retired from the Auror Dept. and now employs herself as a magical private investigator.The humdrum of life is easily disturbed, though, when an old classmate comes to her.15 and 16 are UP -REVIEW! XD
1. The Way Things Used To Be

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 1:The Way Things Used to Be**

I used to live my life in dreams.

Now that my dreams are in shambles, I've pretty much given up on that falsehood.

Dreams walk right in and then walk right back out, kind of like most men. Or pets. Well, pets just get up and do whatever they want; they're animals. Okay, so are men. Anyway, my point is that dreams are a load of bull. We get the teensiest bit of hope or promise, only to have it taken away a moment or a breath later.

My hope faded away several years ago.

After Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and about five-ish years of Auror training, I, Lavender Brown, became a full-fledged Auror. After ten years of horrors, tragedies, and minor miracles, I retired early. It wasn't that I was no good as an Auror. I merely got out while I still could –while I could choose another life, or at least keep my sanity.

I was afraid the monotony would make me snap.

Too bad I couldn't live the charmed life. Many of my classmates were: Harry Potter married that Weasley girl Ginny, my ex Ron Weasley married that nerdy Granger girl, I last heard Longbottom married some Hufflepuff named Abbot, and I knew of a few more who had successful careers or happy families or both.

You know what irks me? Potter's still and Auror, and yet he manages to have a real family. I guess female Aurors –sorry, _ex_-Aurors –don't make the mother cut.

I guess I'm just not "family material."

…Tch. Yeah right.

… Okay, maybe, yeah. But neither would you if you were trying to make a living as a magical PI. I mean, why did I even bother coming up with this stupid business?! AGH!

Well, it's something. While I don't get work every day, those who do employ me pay well. My typical fee is five hundred galleons a day, but since I don't usually stay on a case for more than two or three days, it has to make my time worthwhile. So, five hundred galleons it is.

And I get a wide sort in my office. Wizards, witches, shopkeepers, jealous spouses, jealous exes, homicidal maniacs whom I end up turning over to the Ministry of Magic… I used to be one of those M.O.M. officials. … Sorry, not the time for a trip down Memory Lane.

Anyway, I get just about anything in my office. The reason why I'm bugged this time is that it wasn't just another client I got. It was an ex-classmate looking to follow up on another ex-classmate. But they weren't any people.

They had both been Slytherins.

Slytherins almost _always_ mean bad shit. Like, not just shitburgers. More like the shitburgers hit the fan and I couldn't get out of the line-of-fire fast enough. So, shall we?


	2. A Pleasant Disturbance?

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 2:A Pleasant Disturbance?**

**June first –Day One of a Real Summer**

It was nighttime, and I was walking up to an old building near Gringott's Bank. It as fairly dark, but I could make out the spaces marked off against the wall where brooms were kept for this building's commuters. There was one broom that stood out, but only because it was the only one there. Still, I checked the body.

Yep, the latest model Clean Sweep. Looked a little beaten up around the bristles, but in fairly good condition all around. Now, where was-? Ah, yes, painted on the handle: "Dragon Wagon."

I smirked. Even being a new model Clean Sweep, this broom was sure as hell no "Dragon Wagon." I pulled out my wand and unlocked the magical enchantments surrounding it. Not too complicated, as this business of repossessing brooms had been my job for the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I heard heavy footfall behind me.

"You bitch! Get away from my broom!" the stocky wizard shouted at me.

I finished my spells before turning around. "This broom isn't yours anymore. You stopped payments, therefore it's being taken back. Try to find something else within your budget next time, okay?"

"Fuck you!!" He pulled out his wand, but my stick was already out and a silent Stupefy hit him before he could even blink. The wizard was knocked off his feet and I approached him, securing him with a Petrificus Totalus.

"Mate, I've been up against house-elves scarier than you," I muttered to him. I went back and took the broom, and then nudged him with the toe of my boot. "Don't make me visit you a second time."

When I left, I returned home to rest up. The following morning, I got up and headed over to the broom store. Bells jingled and chimed when I entered.

"Lavender! Good ter see you!"

Out of nowhere, arms wrapped around me and then the wizard backed off. He patted my shoulder again while I forced a smile.

"You got back me Clean Sweep, right?"

"Yeah, Seamus, I did," I said, pulling the broom out of my cloak's inner pocket. "You'll have to fix the finish and maybe switch out the bristles, but it's fine otherwise."

Seamus Finnegan grasped the handle and looked it up and down, frowning. "Bloody bastard dunnit even pay me all he owes me and he's gone and wrecked me broom. I hope he got what was cumming ter him. Right, Miss Brown?" he added with raised eyebrows.

I nodded. "Yes, Seamus. He got a Stun and a Full-Body Bind for trying to attack me. My payment?"

He chuckled and smiled. "Always straight ter th' point. Where did yer charmin' ways go?" he asked as he dropped the galleons into my hands.

I counted my coins instead of looking at him while I replied. "Flirting's a lost art, Seamus. It's also lost on me." I pocketed me payment. "'Kay, we're set. Anything else?"

"Aw, I cin't see you without a job to do? That's jes mean."

I didn't frown, I just kept a straight face. "That's not what I'm paid for." I paused. "It's not that I ever would get paid for something like that, I-"

Seamus laughed. "No need to panic, Lavender. I understood you." He playfully tugged my hair. "You should start wearin' headbands agin. They were cute."

"I don't want to look cute anymore," I answered. "And if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. See you."

I could feel his eyes on my back as I left the broom store, but I kept my face forward. Once upon a time, I craved everyone's eyes on me; now, I often wished I could crawl under a rock and hide from everyone for ever more. I was sick of life.

When I got back to my place, I didn't bother taking off my jacket. I grabbed a soda, opened it, and headed into my office. I rummaged through the papers on my desk, skimming the notes. Crap. I didn't have anything else lined up. Until Seamus called me with another repo job, I was out cold.

Damn.

I heaved a large sigh and sat down in my chair. Ooh, cushy. I relaxed with the leather entering my senses and felt almost completely at ease. _Almost_. Being an ex-Auror…your sixth sense never turns off.

As usual, my sixth sense was right. No sooner had I sat down did I see a figure outside my office door, looming over it. The person pressed their face against the frosted glass in an attempt to see in better. At the risk of losing prospective money, I called out to them.

"Lavender Brown, PI, at your service."

They had been about to walk away. However, my tone was loud and clear, and the person's hand hovered over the door handle. Then she stepped in and closed the door quickly behind her.

I raised an eyebrow. "Someone following you, I presume?"

She shook her head. "No, Brown. I want someone followed."

"Do I know you?" I squinted at the witch as she came and sat down in a chair in front of my desk.

She scoffed. "I haven't changed much. You, on the other hand, are a washed-out dork." Then she released a really awful giggle-laugh.

"Oh, god." I got up and sat on my desk, staring at the dark hair and eyes. "You're Pansy Parkinson."

Pansy sneered. "The one and only."

I frowned, unsure I was going to like this. "What do you want, Pansy?"

"I've come to you with a job."

"Obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be here. What's the job?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Like I said, I want someone followed."

I got out a small notepad and plucked a quill from nearby. "Continue."

"I want you to tail Draco Malfoy," she stated.

My head flicked up. "An old case of jealousy, then?"

Pansy bit her bottom lip. "I'm afraid he might be cheating on me."

_No surprise there,_ I thought. Who _wouldn't_ cheat on Pansy? She's a fat arse and looks like a transvestite. I didn't tell her that, of course. "And what evidence do you have to offer?"

"He's never at his apartment, he's cold towards me, and the last time I saw him was months ago!" she blubbered.

"Okay, okay, don't get snot all over the place." I passed her a tissue, she blew her nose, and I stayed on task. "Are you sure he isn't just caught up with work?"

Her eyes widened. "I- I dunno… I don't even _know_ where he works!!" She heaved and released another shudder of sobs.

"Stop crying, already!" I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. I needed to rein in my temper; I couldn't afford to lose this case. "Can you afford my services?"

"How much?"

"My standard fee is five hundred galleons a day."

The color drained from her face. "…C-Can't you just, y'know, throw in a schoolmate discount?" Pansy breathed. "What about seventy-five galleons per day for a few days surveillance?"

I grimaced. My backbone was telling me to not back down, but my conscience was reminding me that galleons are still galleons. Great. "I guess I'll take that," I replied with a sigh. "I'll follow him for three days and then we can compare notes. Do you have an address?"

"Fifty-seven Hargrove Lane, in rural Brighton."

I raised an eyebrow. "'Rural' Brighton?"

"Okay. So Brighton isn't really rural, but there's a section near the city limits. You can't miss it. His is the apartment building next to the Muggle post station."

"All right," I said, jotting down the last part. "How do you want to make contact?"

"You said three days," Pansy pointed out. "I'll come here three days from now."

"And if I'm not here?"

Pansy stood. "Be here. I'm paying you, anyway. Best not to piss me off." She turned, stopped, and looked back. "And as I'm your latest employer, my first name is off-limits. I'm "Miss Parkinson" to you." She smirked and left.

_How about "Miss Bitch" instead?_ I grunted. This job just seemed ridiculous. Not only were Pansy and Malfoy do schoolmates, but they were some of the nastiest people one could ever meet. They had both been Slytherins, they had always been all about the pureblood lines, and they were only happiest when others were suffering.

Despite my qualms about working for one snake spying on another snake, I got up and sifted through the junk in my desk's top drawer. Quills, a couple of empty ink bottles, several candies that were long since dead. I tossed the candies and inkwells in the trash and moved on to the bottom drawer. Ah, there it was, right on top. I picked up the hollowed out copy of Shana Abé's _Queen of Dragons_ and opened it up. Yep, the camera was still there. It was a magic camera, of course, like all witches and wizards used, except mine didn't need a flash. I closed the book and checked the lens on the cover, placed strategically in the "O" of "of" so no one would immediately notice it. The lens looked good, so, with my money and wand on me, I was all set to go.

I stepped to my door, turned off the lights, and locked the door behind me. For once, seeing no light set off the "Lavender Brown, Private Investigator" sign in bold, black letters was a relief. I would take care of this case, and then come back to this life.

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**All I wanna do here is give a shout-out to Shana Abé and her Drakon books, **_**The Smoke Thief, The Dream Thief, Queen of Dragons, **_**and**_** Treasure Keeper**_**. They're some of the best books ever written, so go read them!!!**


	3. A Job AsUsual

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 3:A Job As…Usual**

**Still June second, still a hot summer**

As my job for Seamus was complete, I swung by Dorea's nearby. Dorea's is a kind of knick-knack place with cool jewelry and collectibles, both manufactured and handmade. I usually went there after a successful case and got a ring or a necklace. Today I was getting a ring.

I rang the bell and a blonde witch with a pixie cut appeared. She broke into a grin when she saw me. "Miss Lavender Brown, what a pleasant surprise."

"Dorey," I said with a nod. "What baubles do you have today?"

"What feeling do you have from the last job?" Dorea countered as she pulled out a box of stainless steel rings.

"Mmm… Something with stars?"

Dorea nodded and pulled out a laser-cut. The design was three stars, two little separated by a larger one. A line went from one small star to the other in the trio of stars on the other side of the band. The ring was medium weight, sturdy but dainty enough. That was the ring.

"I'll take it." I got out the sickles and knuts and paid her.

The shopkeep put the money away. "Going out on a new adventure?" Dorea asked.

"Dorey, you know I can't tell you about the cases. Client confidentiality."

Dorea frowned. "Damn. You always seem so prepared for anything and there are times when you look like you've been through hell."

"Yeah," I said, rubbing my eyes, "I could probably write a best-selling fiction novel. Or a couple." I slid the ring onto my right hand's ring finger, and Dorey looked at me.

"As always, be careful, Lav," she said.

I smiled. "I have to, otherwise my big sister here would kill me."

We both laughed, because Dorea really _did_ act like my big sister. She was the closest thing I had to a friend or even a loved one anymore, since I had long since lost touch with my real family and my best friend, Parvati Patil, from Hogwarts.

After a few more promises that I'd be fine, she let me leave. From outside her store, I Apparated to Brighton, ready to get to work. I landed next to Malfoy's apartment building and rounded the corner –and quickly hid behind the building's edge. All I had seen was the platinum blonde hair that Malfoys were famous for.

I listened to the footsteps as they got further away. I peeked around the corner and watched the wizard strut down the sidewalk. The blonde hair, the black outfit and cloak, and that saunter –no doubt that was Draco Malfoy. Confirming my suspicions, he turned to glance at his watch and I caught enough of his face to compare to the picture Pansy had left with me. It was Draco all right.

I followed him for a few blocks into the city. He never stopped to talk to anyone, just kept on going. Figures. Typical Malfoy. Once I saw all of his face when he looked into the sky in my general direction. I had ducked, despite the fact that I didn't look too much like my teenage self anymore, though my hair was the same color and style it always had been.

I deny "gawking," but…"staring" I guess is appropriate enough. Excluding that being a PI pretty much means you have a staring problem. But hell. Yeah, Malfoy still wore his ever-famous sneer, but he had aged well. _Really_ well. I mean, we were around the same age to have been in the same school year and I was now thirty-three, making him that or thirty-four since I think he has a couple of months on me. And now I'm rambling. Stupid good looks.

The rest of Day One of Draco Observation was uneventful. He stopped at a coffee spot twice, one time in which he briefly spoke to a short, freckled brunette woman with short hair; I snapped a shot of them for cataloguing. He did more walking, taking a stroll through a tiny inner city park. I lost him for a couple of minutes when he took a shortcut through an alleyway, but I caught up to him again on the other side. When Malfoy stopped at a French restaurant for lunch, so did I. He ate alone at the counter and I sat at my booth with my book pried open, but nothing of interest happened. All he did was walk more, stop at a mart to buy some bread, and then return home. I watched him buzz in as I hung back. He went straight to the fourth floor and I saw a light turn on.

I figured it was safe to leave for a moment, so I popped down the street to the coffee vendor on the corner. Grabbing a straight black cup of fresh brew, I went back to my post across the street. His light was still on, and I watched his silhouette drink something from a wine glass, and then he moved out of sight.

This really was ridiculous. Most likely, Malfoy was just following a normal routine, though I had yet to discover where he worked. As I sat down on a bench an okay distance from the apartment complex, I kicked myself for taking this job. How could I have let myself get caught up with these two's love lives? Of course, I had no way of reaching Pansy until my surveillance passed.

Can you say "stupid"?

Agh, well… Money is money. And I didn't seem to be able to come across too much of it, so I settled in for the night…kinda. When it was really late, a Muggle copper had come by, jolting me awake from a tiny doze. Bloody git told me in cop-speak to bugger off. I got up and disappeared around the corner of Malfoy's building, coming back only once the uniform was gone. Facing the complex, I saw that Malfoy's light was still on. Hmm. Would it be safe to assume he wasn't going anywhere tonight?

No… A PI never assumes.

Luckily, there had been plenty of caffeine in my drink. I kept refilling it magically after tucking myself in the foliage of a tall tree. After all, I couldn't risk being seen by the cop again or losing sight of Malfoy. I had to carry out this small job.

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**Thank you, dearest BlueMango (HAH! Sentimentality!), for the first two reviews of the story. Obviously 3's a dedication to you, my monkey friend.**

**And the rest of you –REVIEW!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	4. I'm Not a ScrewUp!

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 4: I'm Not a Screw-Up!**

**June Third of a Damn Hot Summer**

Well, I was finally a third of the way done with this small mission. I guess it hadn't gone too bad, but I wasn't going to get ahead of myself and pat myself on the back just yet. After all, I still had two more days to go.

This morning Malfoy got up and threw his curtains open instead of turning on the light. It was interesting, the bemused expression on his face. Hmm. I guess even creatures of the night enjoy sunlight.

And me? Well, I- Erm, maybe- Okay, I was enjoying the view, too. Like I commented yesterday, Malfoy had aged _really_ well. As I am now going to comment today, he was all-over amazing. His torso was well-built without being overly muscular and his arms were deliciously strong-looking –did I really just say that? UGH!

"Okay, keep your wits about you, Lavender," I chastised myself. "Be objective." I felt eyes on my and looked down to see a kid staring up at me.

"Mum, Mum!" The kid tugged his mother's hand. "There's a lady in that tree!"

Thank Merlin the mother ignored him. He protested, she dragged him along, and he stared at me. I made a scary face and frightened the kid. He finally left with his mother, crying.

Whoops. Maybe that's why I haven't made the mother cut.

Anyway, I turned back to the apartment complex. Great. Malfoy was heading out now and I was still stuck in a tree. He turned right and I scanned the area. No witnesses, so I hopped out and landed haphazardly on my feet, flailing my arms to regain my balance. Whoa! Gimme a sec. …Okay. Good to go.

So his route today was similar to yesterday. He hit that coffe spot –Expresso Momento –twice, although I didn't see anyone interact with him today. Looks like that freckled brunette from yesterday had just been a stranger. Huh.

Also like he had done yesterday, Malfoy seemed to walk much of the city. He actually stopped in a building –British Bank of London –and didn't come out for a while. After an hour, I finally stated that this must be where he worked. Interesting. A pureblood mingling with Muggles… Although, he was still a Malfoy, so he probably loved the feel of that money.

I was required to keep tabs on him, though, so I used a Color-Change Spell and made my hair dark brown and my eyes clear gray. I entered the bank and scanned the lobby. No snakes. I walked up to the front desk and smiled politely. "Excuse me –where's the lavatory?"

The teller was young and pointed to her left. "Just turn this corner and go all the way down the hall until you see the sign on your left."

I thanked her and made my way there. As I was about to round the corner, I poked my wandtip out of my sleeve and muttered a tiny Jinx. Then I moved on.

I hid out in a stall until I heard the loo's door swing open. A woman frantically tore at the paper towel dispenser, and I peeked through the crack of the door. Bingo. My bloody nose Jinx had caught that young teller in a panic.

I revealed myself with a mask of concern. The woman looked up and gave me a half-smile. "Sorry. I'm a bit of a mess," she apologized.

"Would you like some help?"

She had been about to nod when my Sleeping Spell hit her. I caught her limp body and locked the bathroom door. Then I observed her, every detail. Shouldn't be too hard to pull off. I changed my hair and eyes to match hers and also did matching make-up.

"_Geminio_!" I said, pointing at her outfit. The replicated outfit was perfect…with the exception of the blood stain. I grimaced and buttoned up the blazer. There, that should do it. I adjusted my nametag ("Cori Marshall"), cast a Bedazzling Hex on the real Cori, and left the washroom.

I returned to the front desk. My coworkers, Samantha Harley and Patrick Timmons, looked up from their work. "You got all the blood out?" Samantha asked.

I pointed to my blouse. "Not quite."

She and Patrick bought my acting (I guess my voice was closer to Cori's than I'd first thought). Patrick passed me a stack of forms. "Take these to Mr. Hauffman."

Oh, crap. Who was this Hauffman bloke? And where was he supposed to be? And where was Malfoy?! On the outside, I remained cool and collected and marched to the elevators. To the side was a directory. Okay… Hauffman, Hauffman… There! He;s the assistant manager for this bank. Maybe I could get lost and search for Malfoy on the way…

Too late. The elevator had arrived on the third floor, and I was jostled out into the corridor. This area was more of an office space, with cubicles and offices with glass walls. I set off at a steady pace while looking for Hauffman's office. I also kept an eye out for my true, intended target, but I was ready to chalk it up to luck at this point.

Then my eye spied a gold sign inscribed with "Hauffman." Well, at least I could get something done. I glanced down at the –mortgage, okay –forms and knocked on the open door. "Mr. Hauffman, I have-" My voice caught when I looked up.

It was him! What was he doing behind a corporate desk?! And he had an _alias_?! A name sign on the desk read "Drake Hauffman," but I was looking at Draco Malfoy.

I cleared my throat and continued. "I have some possible clients for you to look at."

Malfoy put his phone down and held up a hand. "Thank you, Miss Marshall."

I passed them over and left, clearly shocked to find that Malfoy was truly working here. Under an alias, no less.

My body moved on autopilot after that. I remained as Cori until Malfoy came downstairs. Only then did I revert to my original disguise and revive the real Miss Marshall. Then I was back to tailing Prince Slytherin.

Only now I faced a problem: He was nowhere in sight.

Damn it! Come on, Malfoy! Didn't we play slip the PI earlier? As well as the day before? I was _not_ going to let him get away again!!

I retraced my steps from yesterday and found the French restaurant. Lumière's wasn't that bad, and my grumbling stomach reminded me that all I'd had was that coffee. I ordered some lemon crepes and watched Malfoy, pretending I was daydreaming. At one point Malfoy stopped eating and raised his head, slowly looking over each shoulder. Luckily my crepes made me seem occupied, but I was a little more careful as we finished our early dinners.

Outside, Malfoy adjusted his shirt collar, giving little teasing glimpses of his beautiful throat… Urgh. Mental headslap. ANYWAY, he headed on home and I trailed behind at a safe distance. When we reached his apartment building, I continued past him like I was just the average pedestrian. He went up to his fourth-floor room, flicked on a light, and kicked back with a book and some more wine.

Back in my spot in the tree, I watched him enviously. Was it really so easy to live a normal life, because he made it look that way? Merlin, I don't think I've ever really considered my lifestyle until this case landed in my hands.

And that made me uncomfortable. Thanks, Malfoy.


	5. Hello, Draco

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 5: Hello, Draco**

**June Fourth of a Humid Summer**

Lavender Brown, magical PI here. Currently, I am damp and sitting in a tree. Why, you may ask? It's because I'm on a stake-out, and it drizzled overnight. Finally, it's day three and my last day of Draco Observation.

Things have been so uneventful these past two days that I wished I had just stayed in my office until another job came in. Maybe I should've remained an Auror…

… Nah.

The sun was out and shining gloriously down on me this morning. I left the tree while no one was around and waved my wand to change into some dry clothes. I looked up at Malfoy's window just as he threw the curtains open and smiled, greeting another beautiful day.

That smile made me uncomfortable. Had Malfoy really changed so much from when we were kids? Or had I just never seen the true Malfoy, one who wasn't entirely evil and cold-hearted? Even I doubted the latter idea as I went to the coffee vendor from before.

"Black coffee, please," I ordered.

The vendor raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you don't want that iced, miss? It's awfully hot out, and I make my cubes from the coffee, so it won't be watered down."

"Sure, whatever," I said, dismissing him with a wave of my hand.

I took the iced coffee and sipped at it on my stroll back to my stake-out. Mmm, the vendor was right. This was the best thing for today. Even being in shorts and a light, cotton tee did nothing to beat back the heat as the coffee did. And for the black coffee, that really was some- "Oi, watch it!" I yelped when some arse walked right into me. My coffee went all over me. So while I was cooled off, I was burning up and sticky. "What the hell?!"

"Sorry, I was on my way to work –Lavender Brown?"

The coffee had nothing to do with the chill that then ran down my spine. I looked up and saw Draco Malfoy staring back at me. And of course none of the coffee had touched his Italian suit.

"Lavender Brown?" he repeated, but he didn't say it with the sneer I thought he would've. He was just trying to tell if he'd run into an old classmate.

I could only gawk, though, because my brain shut off at some point. He was veeery appealing up close.

He mistook my silence for forgetfulness. He smiled and gestured to himself. "It's Draco. Draco Malfoy, remember? We went to Hogwarts together?"

Trying to swallow the lump in my throat, I nodded instead. I was rooted to the spot. I had made contact with my target!!

"I thought it was you," Malfoy commented in response to my acknowledgment. He looked me up and down. "I'm sorry about your clothes and drink. Is there anything I can do to help?"

I opened my mouth and closed it. My brain hadn't quite caught up yet. It was still stuck on the fact that I had made contact with Malfoy though my job had been only to sit back and watch. What if I had just completely blown the past two days' work away? I could hear him now: "By the way, I saw you sitting on a bench outside my place before. You wouldn't happen to be following me by any chance, would you? 'Cause I'm sure you also went to Lumière's, and that seems to be too much of a coincidence."

In reality, Malfoy took the mostly empty coffee cup and tossed it. He patted my arms dry with a green silk handkerchief and then gave me the piece of cloth. "Um, I know a coffee place nearby. We can get you cleaned up there, if you don't mind."

Numbly, I nodded and followed him to Expresso Momento. He gave me his jacket to cover the stain with and I ducked into the ladies' room. With my wand, it was easy to clean up, but my mind still reeling with my screw-up:

I had made contact with a target.

I'd never done that before –and it really was the worst possible way to screw-up, other than killing your target. Yes, I'd only been doing the PI business for about two years, but the principles were the same as if I had remained an Auror. How could I have jeopardized my mission?!

I left the ladies' room and joined Malfoy at a table in a corner of the coffee hut. I returned his jacket and thanked him for it. "You didn't really have to walk me here. I could've just gone home or something."

Malfoy shrugged. "Well, this place was nearby. And it's rare that I catch up with anyone from…old days."

I caught the hint that "old days" meant the Wizarding world and not just Hogwarts. Though, an idea popped into mind: What better way to get info about Malfoy than straight from the horse's (or, in this case, snake's) mouth? "What do you mean?" I asked in an oblivious (I hoped) manner.

He caught my eye and smiled that strange smile of his. Another shiver ran down my spine. There was something in that smile, in those eyes, that made me feel like he knew everything. Which is ludicrous. He was only an assistant bank manager. "First," Malfoy said, and a server brought two coffees. He raised his mocha latte. "I thought I might replace the one I spilled."

I sipped at Expresso Momento's iced black coffee. It was really good, and I found myself ordering another on Malfoy's tab. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Again, he shrugged, but he seemed amused by me. I wasn't sure I liked that, since he was more like a cat amused by a defenseless mouse. "It's fine, Lavender. Besides, I was hoping we could catch up a bit."

"But don't you have work?" Ooh, foot in mouth. If he left now and I didn't get any details, it would all be due to my lack of focus.

"How often do you run into people from decades past?" he questioned in answer to my reminder.

Phew. Safe.

"So you had been an Auror, last I knew. You still with the Ministry?"

… Okay, maybe not so safe. I probably should've come up with a story beforehand. "Er…no. I'm just going between…things…right now."

He nodded. "I was unemployed for a while, too. Five years ago, though, I got into Muggle banking." Malfoy playfully glared. "Don't go laughing now, considering I'm a pureblood in a Muggle environment."

I found it easy to genuinely smile. "Not at all. How are you fairing there?"

"I'm assistant manager." The wizard sipped more at his drink, which I realized was hot. So he was one of those weirdoes who drinks it hot during warm weather. "It's not very exciting, but I get to handle money."

This time I did chuckle and he joined in. I had been right about that part, at least. "So, what? Is your life all work and no play?" I inquired with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow.

He smirked back, but it wasn't something that gave a better-than-you vibe. It gave off a vibe, though, one I couldn't name. Malfoy's eyes dropped to his latte. "But that would make Draco a dull boy." He lifted his gaze like it was nothing, but he knew what he was doing. He knew what creepy butterflies were flitting about in my stomach. Malfoy was flirting with me.

Okies. Awkward. And, no, I don't mean that his flirting with me was awkward. Well, not _just_ that. It was awkward because I think I enjoyed his attention. I averted my eyes and absentmindedly rubbed the goose bumps on my forearms. "Malfoy, you can't be anything near dull."

The blonde male's expression flashed with some cold emotion when I called him using his last name, but he retained his flirty mood with the rest of my sentence. "I'm afraid I've lost some of my touch, Lavender. I haven't care about anything besides my career for a long time now."

I wasn't entirely sure why I wanted to know this next one, besides relating to the reason why I was tailing him in the first place: "What happened to Pansy Parkinson?"

To my surprise, Malfoy laughed. "Are you kidding? I left –no, that's not right. I _escaped_ her during seventh year."

I partially smiled, but even my half-grin faded. "But sixth and seventh year…were…tough." I didn't have to meet those eyes to know they were smoldering.

"Afraid I'm evil?"

He asked so quietly that I lifted my head to better hear him. His gaze caught mine and I found I couldn't look away, for his eyes used a spell that wasn't a spell to hold mine. I had no answer for him, though.

Malfoy finished his drink. "So you don't see anyone either?"

I blinked, caught off-guard. "What?"

"Didn't you used to be friends with one of the Patil twins?" he elaborated.

"Oh. Yes, Parvati. No, I haven't seen her, or my family, in a long time."

"Who do you keep company with?"

"I have a friend who owns a store, but I'm just on my own really." I cupped my cheek in my palm and stared out the window.

"I'm surprised I hadn't bumped into you around here before."

My hackles went up. He was scouting for info, too. Maybe not, but it was a possibility. "I only recently moved here," I lied. "Maybe I'll see you around."

He glanced at his watch. "As I have work, that just might be a maybe." He smiled and left money for the server.

Me? I watched him leave. He only smiled when I said, "Bye, Draco."


	6. Done A Crap Job

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Done a Crap Job**

**Still June Fourth, Summer**

I still don't know how I managed to sleep that night. Having any interaction with Draco had been strange to begin with. Talking so casually –_flirting_ –with him had been the strangest thing of all. And things had momentarily taken a dark turn in mood…

I shouldn't have said anything about sixth and seventh year. Draco had been acquitted of all that Death Eater stuff, and I'd heard from Potter and Weasley that Draco had been scared more than anything else when his parents, mainly his father, had dragged him into that lifestyle. And Draco didn't look evil, though he'd asked if I was afraid he was.

Merlin. Finally, this Draco business is over.

Pansy had arrived in my office later that day after seeing Draco, around the time I finished my lunch. I was tossing my scraps when she knocked on the door and came in.

"Brown."

"Miss Parkinson."

The fat lard sat down in the chair in front of my desk and looked at me. "So? Is he cheating on me?"

I started to answer when I paused. Something clicked, and I wondered who was lying. She said she only hadn't seen him for months, implying they'd been in a relationship. He said he hadn't seen or been with her since we were all seventeen. In cases like this, it's best not to impart too much. "No, he's not cheating on you. He's…been busy with work."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Is that all you've gleaned after three days?" Pansy snapped.

I bit my tongue from saying "Isn't "gleaned" too big for your vocabulary?" Instead I crossed my hands on my lap. "There's not much to glean, Miss Parkinson."

She stood and shoved a stack of papers off my desk. "Don't you "Miss Parkinson" me! You've done a crap job for the amount of time I gave you! It's a miracle you're still in business! Is that really the best you can do? I'm going to someone else for help!!"

During her tirade, I remained calm and just let her rant. When she was done, I looked her straight in the eye. "My payment?"

She threw the money at me. "You're awful at this!!" Pansy stormed to the door, but stopped when I spoke.

"But I'm one of the few who can do this at all."

Looks like _someone_ won this argument, huh? The witch hesitated with the door handle. After a minute, she said, "I may return for your services, but don't count on it." Then she threw the door open and left.

Sheesh. Good riddance.

I counted my money and grimaced. That bitch had stiffed me a day's pay!! Damn it all! And she just _had_ to go complain about how awful I am at this –which I'm really not. But her lack of full payment didn't encourage me to do a better job if she did come back.

Heaving a large sigh, I put the galleons away and began tidying up my office. It had been a while since I'd last seen the blue carpet, and I thought now was as good a time as any to get some cleaning done.

"_Alohamora_!" The spell swept my scattered parchment together, revealing Queen of Dragons. Huh. I'd forgotten I'd taken at least one picture of Draco while doing the surveillance. Draco…

Wait a second. I just realized I've been calling him "Draco" in my thoughts all day long.

Oh, crap. Maybe I really have done a crap job.

On the other hand… I looked down at the Shana Abé book in my hand. You know, Pansy never said I was _done_ with this job. Maybe I could keep watching him a little longer, although he did think I lived in Brighton…

But so what? So he knew I was around. And you know what? I don't think I really mind that he's "Draco" and not "Malfoy." And I think I'm fine with bumping into him around town and being able to enjoy his flirtatious behavior. Here I come, Brighton –_Miss Brown Lives For a Day_ (or two).


	7. Would You Like That?

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Would You Like That?**

**June Fifth, Summer**

It was refreshing, this ambition. I don't remember the last time I broke the rules. I don't even remember the last time there were rules to break.

I slept in late and woke up refreshed. I took my time in the shower and getting dressed. I even made a fuss of my hair.

I also don't remember the last time I made such a fuss over myself. Hmm.

When I left my place in the afternoon, everything seemed brighter, the sun more vibrant, the sky bluer. I never realized how much my surroundings depended on my perception of them. I suppose Emerson was right when he said that Nature wears the colors of the spirit.

The nearby bookstore was a pleasant retreat from my normal routine, but unfortunately they didn't have any new Shana Abé. I ended up buying an anthology and then left to Apparate to Brighton.

It wasn't even instinct –or maybe it was –but either way my feet took me to Lumière's on their own. When I sat down, I glanced at my watch and cursed. "I can't believe I forgot to have breakfast again…"

"Then you won't mind if I invite you to join me for lunch?"

My lips curved up as Draco sat across from me in the booth. "When put that way, it sounds like lunch is on you."

"Aw. How can you do that to the birthday boy?"

"Happy birthday," I said after my smiled wavered.

Draco chuckled. "Thank you. And don't worry, lunch _is_ on me. I would never ask for a lady to pay or go halfsies, unemployed or not."

I nodded, not bothering to correct. Hey, all the better if he thinks I'm unemployed right now, right? And not just for the free food.

The server brought my gratin and Draco's escargot (um, eeeeeewwww!) and we enjoyed a polite conversation –up to a point.

"Draco…," I began. I pushed my food around on my plate with my fork, and he lowered his fork hand to the table. "I wanted to apologize. For bringing up what I did yesterday."

He quieted for so long that I wondered if he was going to leave. "… Thank you," he said after another moment of silence.

In an effort to lighten the mood, I grinned and offered up a joke. "After all, you're about as evil as the snails on your plate."

Again, there was that inscrutable something in his eyes. "Everyone's evil, Lavender, some just more than others."

I frowned at him while he returned his attention to his plate. Why did he keep saying stuff like that? Stuff that was cryptic and foreboding? Stuff… Stuff that I couldn't decide if it intrigued me or warned me.

Stuff that only confused me more about him.

"So I don't get a birthday gift?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I thought you didn't ask anything of unemployed women."

"Unless it's an evening of their time." Draco looked at me, clearly enjoying the incredulous face I made. "Would you like to eat with me Saturday night? There's an Italian place called Che Graziano-"

"Yes," I interrupted. Whoa. Had I really just agreed to a date with Draco Malfoy?

He laughed. "That's nice. Like I was saying, though, Lavender, Che Graziano is a couple of blocks away from here. I'll meet you there, seven-thirty?"

"Yes," I repeated with a laugh. "I'll see you there."

We finished our meals soon after and he left for work. It was a different feeling, parting with someone and knowing I'd see them again. For me, it was just as weird to _want_ to see him again. But I kinda liked it.


	8. We Are Puzzle Pieces

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: We Are Puzzle Pieces**

**June Seventh, Still Summer**

Yes, yes, you see the correct date. It is the seventh. Friday the sixth flew by fast –I just spent the day reading. Besides, it would be horrible of me to bore you before sharing in today's story. Now, you should know, today's tale was terrifying and I'm surprised I made it out alive.

…I went _shopping_.

Uggh, shiver shiver, chills. I hate shopping. I can't understand what made me addicted to it as an adolescent. Hell, I still didn't understand how women could be shopaholics well into their fifties, sixties, seventies, and so on.

So, yes, I went shopping. It all began this lovely Saturday morning when I realized I had very little clothing for events. Most of my wardrobe comprised of button-up flannels and T-shirts and dark denim jeans. I couldn't find one skirt. Heh.

I went to the strip of Muggle stores outside of Diagon Alley in pursuit of _something_ for my date. I tried several stores, some of which felt very unwelcoming. A couple of times the staff sized me up and gave me a look, and I shrank away and exited the store without even perusing the merchandise.

In the end it boiled down to time. I had only two hours before I was supposed to meet Draco. I went into a ritzy store without even glancing at the store's name. Immediately a woman approached me and I thought I was going to be chased off again. Instead, the strawberry blonde smiled. "May I help you, ma'am?"

Okay, I just about cried at that point, considering all the bad luck I'd had that day. "I- I- I-" I stuttered, "I need- I need real outfits!" I half blubbered here.

"Do you have any restraints?"

"I have a date in less than two hours!"

She went into mother-mode after hearing that. She called over two more workers and they set about measuring me and bringing me nearly everything but the hangers. I tried on every color of the rainbow while the woman played with my makeup. After a while I had a sizeable mound of clothes to take home, but still not a dress that would be good for tonight.

I paid at the register, tuning out the apologies of the staff. I was about to hand over my credit card (I actually had my Gringotts account set up to conversion when I needed Muggle money and I had a fair amount of money, really, since I lived on very little and let my work pay gain a _lot_ of interest…huh, I guess I was semi-wealthy) when _it_ caught my eye.

There was a small display of black dresses. There were several styles, but the foremost one made me drool. It was a uni-shoulder strap dress cut from six layers of softly undulating ruffles that would stop a little above the knee. Every woman has a little black dress. I knew this one was mine.

Miss Strawberry Blonde followed my gaze. "Should I add that to your purchases?"

I nodded. I poked my stomach and looked down my front. I had let myself go just a _teensy_ bit since quitting the Auror office, but it wasn't that noticeable, especially since my breasts stuck out much more. I nodded more definitively this time.

As soon as I left the store, I went home and changed. God. This dress was drool-worthy. It made _me_ drool-worthy. I shook my head to refocus and slipped on heels and dark silver jewelry. I waved my wand for my hair, letting my dirty blonde hair wave against my back.

Maybe I'd gone overboard for a simple date?

I didn't have time to answer when I saw what the time was. I rushed out and Disapparated. Merlin, when I reached Brighton, I thought it a wonder I hadn't Splinched myself! I hurried as fast as I could while remaining presentable. As I pulled up on the restaurant, I checked my watch. Seven-thirty on the dot. I looked up and saw Draco. He smiled so sweetly I thought he was someone else.

"H-Hi," I choked.

Draco laughed. "Good evening, Lavender." He held an arm out. "Shall we?"

I took his arm and we entered Che Graziano. The inside was dim, setting the mood. The aura was very modern Italy, and tantalizing aromas filled the air. We ordered a plate of pasta to split and a bottle of champagne and let ourselves soak up the atmosphere.

"Not too shabby for a first date," Draco stated with a smirk.

"Nope. Not at all." I sipped at my champagne before placing the glass on the table and bridging my fingers. I rested my chin on my fingers. "So you're implying that there will be more?"

"Why not?" he said with a slight shrug.

"You're quite the charmer."

"Yep. Nothing like I used to be."

"Is that so?"

Draco cupped his cheek in his palm and locked his gray eyes with my hazel ones. "Maybe I should've been charming, so I could've enjoyed my time. With you, perhaps."

My old, tittering and irritating laughter echoed in my brain. _No, Draco, I don't think you'd want to wish that on yourself. I wouldn't._ "You don't enjoy your time now?"

A forced smile danced across his features. "I told you before that everyone has evil in them, Lavender."

My blood turned to ice. "Are you… Are you actually a Dea-"

"Your linguini, Signor, Signora," the waiter interrupted. He placed the plate in between us, and Draco dished up two smaller portions. He wasn't going to answer my question.

If I couldn't get an answer for that, then maybe: "So why go on a date with me, then?"

"I told you that before, too," the wizard said, looking at his fork-twirling. "I wanted to catch up with someone from old times."

"Oh." I don't know why, but a part of me felt a little disappointed that that was his answer. Had he really not seen another witch or wizard for so long?

"So you don't see anyone either?"

Déjà vu. He was asking the same questions from two days ago, too. "Like I said, I-" I stopped, catching his eyes wandering over my appearance, my every detail. It was an animal something in those clear gray orbs, and I suddenly understood what he really asked. Sure he could see my cheeks flush from the attention and interest, I cleared my throat and lowered my eyes to my food. "No," I answered, "no, I don't."

"Hmmm."

I looked up and saw him staring at me still. But his expression was so inscrutable. It was borderline amused and relieved, but I had the distinct impression he was calculating. But why would he be doing that?

We finished our meal a little while after that. When outside, Draco smiled that confusion-inducing smile of his. "May I walk you home?"

Whoops! Mind back to present situation! Since I didn't actually live in Brighton, that would be kinda hard, no? I mustered a hasty grin. "Actually… Your place is closer. Mind if I walk you home instead?"

He seemed curious about the role reversal, but he didn't mind. We took our time traipsing past Lumière's and Expresso Momento, and the coffee vendor and bench from the park across from his apartment building. Hah. If only he knew I'd been on this bench earlier this week.

I walked him up to the main gate of the complex. There, he faced me. "I had a wonderful evening, Draco," I stated with an easygoing smile. I squeezed his hand to further emphasize that, because I really had. The last time I'd experienced so many emotions had been at Hogwarts.

"I'm glad," he replied, and his voice was so smooth I almost turned to putty. Thank Merlin for my self-control! But as for his… We stared into the other's eyes for a long moment, that calculating look on Draco's face again. In the end, he smiled back. "Good night, Lavender," he said, and he disappeared inside.

I watched until his light went on before I turned to leave. I felt eyes on me, and, upon looking back, I saw him leaving his window. Yeah. I thought we should've kissed, too.


	9. A Plot as Thick as Porridge

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: A Plot as Thick as Porridge**

**June Twelfth, Summer**

That day left butterflies in my stomach, but I swatted them away. I'm pretty sure we only felt flirty and teasing because neither of us had been with another person for so long. There certainly wasn't any true attraction.

After Saturday, for the past few days, I did my role as Cori Marshall at Draco's bank. Two days I slipped out to appear as Lavender at Lumière's for lunch, but I returned to the bank a little after Draco left. Currently, I lived a double –wait, no, a _triple_-life: Lavender Brown (the PI), Lavender, and Cori Marshall. Wonderful.

So here I am, on a Thursday, sorting documents in the records room with Patrick Timmons. I passed him a box marked "April."

"Okay, these loans can be re-filed," he said, returning "March" to me.

I stood to head to the file cabinets when he stopped me. "What?" I asked.

Patrick cursed under his breath. "Mr. Hauffman needs to see this. There's a discrepancy." He closed the folder and shoved it at me. "Take it to him right away, and tell him it's a priority."

I did as asked, ignoring Patrick's brusque manner. Patrick was in his late forties, like Samantha Harley. Cori, on the other hand, had only been at the bank for two years and she was in her middle-twenties. Needless to say, she was still treated as the new girl.

I went straight to Draco's office and knocked on the door before stepping in. "Mr. Hauffman-"

I was interrupted by a snarl. Another man was in the office, scowling at Draco. He had unkempt black hair and severe five-o'clock shadow. His dark eyes glowered with great animosity, and I suddenly wanted to shrink back out of the room.

"Our hold isn't strong enough yet," he spat at Draco.

Draco returned his glare. "Then I suggest you work on it, Blackbaire." Not breaking Blackbaire's gaze, he held out a hand for my folder.

I hustled over and opened it. "There's a discrepancy, Mr. Hauffman, in the loaner's cause. Timmons' says it's a priority."

At "priority," Draco looked at the document. "I see. Very well, I'll handle this in a moment, Miss Marshall."

"The Ministry, Malfoy-" Blackbaire interrupted.

Draco flicked his eyes back to his guest. "I have the situation covered, _Blackbaire_," he intoned, saying the older man's name as if it were a curse. "And I would appreciate it if the lot of you would stop approaching me where I work, especially out in the open. I also told you not to call me that when here."

Blackbaire pointed at Draco rigidly, and his sleeve drew back very slightly. The tip of something peeked out on his wrinkled skin, and, if I were a Muggle, I'd say my eyes were playing tricks on me. But I knew better when it came to moving tattoos.

Blackbaire was a Death Eater.

"Don't give me that cock-and-bull, _Hauffman_!"

Draco smiled serenely. "I assure you you won't be feeling my cock inside you as I'm straight, Blackbaire, and the only bull here is you." He said it with such a straight face, I wanted to laugh, but I was too scared to. Draco glanced at me. "Now please leave. You're frightening my teller."

Ever had the creepy-crawlies? You would if this guy's eyes landed on you like they did me. Blackbaire took a final look at Draco before leaving, and the ominous air went with him. After a minute, I released my nervous laughter. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Hauffman, but what you said…"

"He deserve it, trust me," Draco stated. "There," he said, making a few marks in the margins of the top-sheet. "This is fixed. It was a minor error in the paperwork, not casework. Please return this to its proper place, Miss Marshall."

"Of course, sir," I replied, taking the folder back. I walked to the door when he called me.

"And Miss Marshall? I would appreciate it if you didn't mention that encounter to anyone."

"Of course not, sir." I went back to the records room, my heart pounding in my chest. Maybe he wasn't one himself, but Draco was again keeping company with Death Eaters.

* * *

**Thank you, thank you, THANK you, loyal readers for the reviews! It's nice to know you like it, azab and BlueMango, and I'm glad I got ya hooked, yellow 14. To show my appreciation (and because I'm still laughing from what Draco said to "Blackbaire"), this will be a triple-post.**

**So review some more!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	10. When the Time is Right

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: When the Time is Right**

**June Fourteenth, a Wary Summer**

Would you believe it? Tonight I had scored another Draco-filled evening. Yesterday, Friday, at lunch he'd asked me out again. I played hard-to-get for all of ten minutes before giving in and agreeing. What? Free food, people, free food.

So here I sat, in a thin leather skirt and matching spaghetti-strap top. The only thing I didn't quite like about tonight's outfit was the zipper on the back of the top, but it didn't bother me too much. I wasn't paying much attention to it, either.

"This one time," I continued, "I was at home when I wanted to practice flying. I kicked off the ground and hovered over the roof of my dad's car. I wobbled until I up-ended, and then I spent a while hanging upside-down with my hair all in my face." We were both laughing. "My mother spazzed when she saw me."

"You're not still wretched at flying, are you?" Draco asked after wiping tears from his eyes.

I shook my head. "Couldn't be. Aurors, you know."

"Yeah… Even being on the Quidditch team for a couple of years doesn't help much. But I'm fine when I have to use a broomstick. I just choose not to."

Considering he walked everywhere, I'd already figured out that much. Considering he didn't know how much he told me I already knew, I didn't comment. I finished my drink and called the waiter over for another water, and he brought it with a lemon slice pierced by a Che Graziano stirrer.

"Favorite color?" Draco inquired.

"Always changing," I stated, "but it's currently fire red."

"Favorite flower?"

"Orchid." I leaned on the table. "Favorite Quidditch team?"

"Bulgaria."

"Favorite spell?"

"Avis."

I blinked. "That's surprising. You like conjuring flocks of birds?"

He shook his head. "If you concentrate, you can create a single bird. The spell is like Animagus magic or the Patronus Charm –the bird conjured depends on the person. It's good if you want to send a message in plain sight or if you can't produce a Patronus."

"Huh. Your bird?"

"Raven."

I watched him eat for a moment. "You still can't produce a Patronus? You were always good with magic."

"I didn't say I couldn't produce one now. But a shining, white Patronus sticks out more than a normal bird."

I smiled wickedly. "Tell me, go on. What's your Patronus?"

His cheeks pinked, which was damn cute. "If you must know, it's…a fruit bat."

"Aw! How cute!" I exclaimed with a chuckle.

Draco playfully glared at me. "Well? Can _you_ perform the Charm? What's yours?"

I scratched my cheek with my index finger. "Well…"

"You can't do it, can you?"

"I can, you git. Mine's…a hamster," I coughed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Would you mind repeating?"

"A hamster, all right?" I glared while it was his turn to laugh, but my annoyance faded when he looked at me…kinda hungrily.

"Be careful, Lavender," he mock-warned me. "Bats eat all types of rodents. Ow! What the-?"

I smiled wickedly yet again. "Sorry. Was that your hand I accidentally stuck with my fork?" And so on, and so on… The banter kept us going for the rest of the meal, but I found it easy to relax with him. Which is saying something considering what I'd discovered two days ago.

When we left the Italian restaurant tonight, the weather had cooled off a bit. I walked Draco to the main gate of his apartment building like last time, but I knew not to expect anything other than a "good night and goodbye." Funnily enough, though, we dawdled at the main gate longer than we had before.

"May I see your raven?" I asked out-of-the-blue.

Draco grinned in response and withdrew his wand from his pocket. A quick downward swish and a raven perched on my shoulder. "A bit hard to see in the dark."

"But warm." I stroked the bird's soft feathers before it flew up and disappeared. I looked up into the liquid black night sky. "It's nice magic," I spoke, tilting my head back down. "Ooh! Ouch, what was…?" My words trailed off. I realized my hair was caught in my top's ruddy zipper!

I saw that Draco did his best not to chuckle at that, but he turned me. "Hold still. I'll fix it."

I don't know why, but I was a bit nervous with his fingers on my skin. His fingers were warm and smooth, very healthy. He tugged the zipper down to free my hair and zipped it back up slowly. Then I face him again.

There! Right there! In his eyes again! At first it was that hungry glint, but that was overshadowed by the calculating expression. Something small clicked tonight and he leaned downward….

Merlin! He was going to kiss me!

…but not on the lips. At the last second, he pecked my cheek and brushed some hair out of my eyes. He left me with a "Good night, Lav."


	11. What May Come

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: What May Come**

**June Thirtieth, a Lovely Summer**

Saturday nights became our date nights, with the exception of Wednesday the twenty-fifth. He'd just really wanted to see me that night. I couldn't blame him. Blackbaire had reappeared at work to taunt him that day.

I wished I could do something for him, but then he'd know how much time we really _were_ spending together. The best I could do was be his lunch date most of the time and dinner date often enough.

And also keep an eye on him.

This Monday morning I'd followed Draco into Expresso Momento. I was in my brunette-with-green-eyes disguise this time, and I had my Shana Abé book with me. I hadn't taken any pictures since the first day of spying on Draco, but today things changed.

He ordered his mocha latte as usual and paid the barista while waiting. As soon as he got his drink, he bumped into a short woman with a brown bob. His drink didn't go everywhere like mine had when I'd met him, but he did stop to chat with her for a minute or two.

Urgh. I didn't like him talking with that woman. I wish I was the one –Oh, damn. I sound jealous, don't I? Okay, calm down, Lavender, he's just talking with her. It's not like you're his girlfriend. … God, that's something _else_ to add to my confusion!

But I still didn't like him near that freckled plain Jane. …wait. She looked familiar, but I couldn't immediately place it. I opened my book to take a picture when I realized who she was. She was the same woman he'd "accidentally" bumped into on that first day of Draco Observation. No way was she a stranger.

I strained to make out their whispers. It didn't take long to deduce that I couldn't hear even their whispers, but I was close enough for that. Either Draco or the woman had cast an Eavesdropping barrier so only they could hear each other.

Great. Fantastic job, Lavender. You officially suck as a PI. You rarely get cases, you contacted your target, you lost him a few times, you've been _dating_ him –I had a feeling that list of mistakes would keep growing, especially since I could barely spy on him right now.

Draco headed to work afterwards and I spent the day as Cori Marshall again. Jeez. The poor girl must be wondering about her daily bouts of amnesia by now.

Lunchtime rolled around and I was grateful for the break. I was going to head out to Lumière's when a ragged cloak brought my attention to the stairs. I followed the person and watched Blackbaire ascend the staircase. No doubt about to go harass Draco.

I took the elevator up and marched to Draco's office –and froze. What was I thinking? I was Cori right now and she had no reason for seeing Hauffman! My eyes darted left and right, looking for something to act with. I grabbed a granola bar off someone's nearby desk and stood over the trash bin outside Draco's office. I positioned myself so I could hear them but they wouldn't see me.

"How are our numbers faring?" Draco asked.

"Growing," Blackbaire answered gruffly, but he was in a better mood than he'd been in lately. "Steadily growing."

"I'm glad you've realized who's in charge," Draco stated, flipping through some papers on his desk.

I heard Blackbaire shift on his feet. "_Hauffman_… When are you going to stop playing Muggle-lover and officially lead the front?"

"When our numbers give us an advantage." A pause. "And I never said I would be the leader."

Somehow I sensed Blackbaire smiled. "Just because you got your Mark removed doesn't mean you can't be the leader. Besides, you've masterminded everything. The Ministry won't know what hit them."

"Quite, but you give me too much credit. I only thought of our in." Draco stood and I suppose he approached Blackbaire. "Let your people further infiltrate, maybe…another month or two. Then we'll strategize."

That seemed to suffice as an answer for the Death Eater. He exited the office, pausing only to glance at me "fiddling" to open the granola bar's wrapping. When he left the floor, I tossed the bar and left, too.

On my way to Lumière's, my stomach churned. This was out of control. Death Eaters had yet _again_ infiltrated the Ministry? Had they reached the ranks yet? Was Minister Shacklebolt in immediate danger? Was Undersecretary Weasley (Ron's brother, Percy) under the Imperious Curse? And the Aurors… I hadn't worried about my former comrades for a while, but now I pictured their faces: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean, Auror-in-training Teddy…and so many others. And of course I remembered that Ron's da worked at the Ministry of Magic, too. But if Death Eaters were in the Ministry, were they in Hogwarts, too? Like seventh year? My old teachers, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, Firenze, Trelawney, and Neville, too, who had begun teaching not long after our year had graduated…

The severity of the situation crashed down on me as my palms gripped the door handle to the restaurant, growing cold and clammy. I was not sure I wanted to eat at that moment. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, but all I could see was the chaos from seventh year.

I was scared out of my thoughts by a raven landing on my shoulder. A message was tied to its leg. Draco wanted me to join him for dinner instead of lunch.

Good. I probably couldn't handle seeing him right now. … Shit. Even knowing what the asshole was planning, I still wanted to see him. Not so good.

I went back to the bank without having lunch. Numbly, like I was an Inferi, I finished out the rest of the day. Patrick and Samantha seem worried about me, but I assured them it was a stomach bug. They'd never believe me if I told them the Wizarding world and, in turn, the entire world was in danger of going to hell.

Hell, I couldn't even believe it much myself.

All throughout dinner, I was a shell of myself.

Draco didn't comment, but he definitely saw the change in me. In only one month we'd come to know so much about each other, any normal couple would say that one knew more about their partner than they did about themselves. But I felt like I didn't know either of us.

On the walk home, Draco took my hand. It wasn't a gesture I missed, just one I tuned out like everything else. My heart was heavy once we reached the main gate.

Finally he faced me. "Lavender, what's wrong?" His eyes were pleading, not a thing I would have ever thought he had done in his teens.

I squinted, my frustration peaking. A lump caught in my throat. What could I tell him? Not the truth, just another lie. "I'm sorry," I managed. "I'm very stressed right now."

"About your job situation?"

"…Yeah." Hey, that actually wasn't a lie; it had a different meaning, that's all. I kept my eyes shut as he pulled me into a loose embrace. Maybe I could tell him something else with two meanings… "People do have evil in them, though it's surprising how much one person can contain."

He cupped my face in his hands and locked eyes with me, the plea still in his clear gray eyes. God, those clear gray eyes looked only at me. I knew he saw only me, he wasn't thinking about his plan, he just saw Lavender. I was on the verge of tears when he spoke: "But we love those people no matter what."

"We love them," I affirmed, and my face became slick with salty tears as he kissed me deeply. And that kiss had only one meaning.

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**This is probably my fav chappie so far, because I think it's the most emotionally driven. And, sad to say, we're almost halfway through the story already. Updating will be slower now (I may get another one or two up soon), but please be patient. This story will probably be over by the beginning of the summer, but I'm glad you all like it. (And thankies, yellow 14, for the **_**very**_** speedy review! That was the fastest review I've ever gotten! *small blush*)**

**So be on the lookout for more! After all, aren't you curious why Blackbaire was in quotes in my last endnote? The answer to that question and many more will be revealed in upcoming chappies! SO REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	12. Point of No Return

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Point of No Return**

**July Thirteenth, a Hazy Summer**

Have you ever been to an amusement park?

Better yet, have you ever been on one of those music rides where you're spinning around and around and then it slows and then you're going up and down, around and around, and backwards? They yell for you to scream to get it moving faster, and it speeds up so much that you feel like you're flying. You're in and out of darkness and lights are flashing all around you. You get the thrill of it all.

And then you start to fear if your car will unhinge and send you through a wall of spray-painted sheet metal. Or maybe you fear that the ride will end every time it slows down.

Take all of those emotions, multiply them by a thousand, and that's how I felt about the current situation with Draco.

I'd finally reached the point of no return with him. I didn't know I was going to inadvertently say _that_ on that night, but…but he inadvertently said it, too. How was I supposed to know that we were going to fall in love with each other?

That night, that kiss seemed to last forever. When we'd finally broken apart, he'd chuckled a throaty chuckle (I loved that sound) and turned up the corners of his mouth (I loved that wry grin.) "Hard to say good night now," he'd joked (I loved that voice.)

I'd been the one with self-control, though. "Yes, but part we must," I replied.

He'd nodded and given me another quick kiss on the lips. However, he hadn't wanted to release me just yet. He'd held me for several more breaths, squeezed me tightly like he'd lose me if he let go, and then he went inside.

I'd remained rooted to the spot for another twenty minutes, at some point looking up at his window. When I did, Draco smiled down at me, making my heart flutter and my face crimson. Again, I can't believe I didn't Splinch myself when I Apparated home.

From that point on, I saw him everyday for lunch, and we tossed in some more dinner dates. Now, almost halfway through July, we'd been dating for well over a month.

This made things difficult for surveillance, so I ended up working in the morning. I'd only seen the brunette "stranger" once more since the second time she'd talked to Draco, but that didn't make me any less wary of her.

I hadn't seen Blackbaire at _all_ since the thirtieth. That disturbed me. What if he'd had luck with Draco's orders to dive deeper into the Ministry of Magic? If so…

If so…then what? What could I do? I wasn't an Auror anymore –though I can still kick butt like I was. But who could I go to about the preemptive attack? Yes, my Auror comrades might listen, but I think it would be hard to convince Harry, Ron, and Hermione to cut Draco some slack a second time. Especially when my Draco had been the major brains behind the operation.

Shit. Look what love does to a defender of the law: It mixes up right and wrong.

Sigh.

But, also, could we last? My conscience reminded me of the possibility that we were only together because we were lonely and magical folk and had kinda known each other way-back-when. Meanwhile, my heart reminded me that he only ever looked at me, especially with that unnamable thing a lover gets in his eyes.

BIG sigh.

Where had my devil-may-care, my courageous attitude from Pansy firing me gone? I really wished it would come back. I pondered this as I lolled in my bed at home. To think this all began with my getting this case in the first place… No, that's not entirely right. My involvement had begun with this case. He'd been… He'd been planning for a long while.

My heart ached terribly at that idea, and my conscience again hounded me. How could I love someone who was turning Dark Wizard? But one thing rang in my memory while that question echoed:

"We love those people no matter what."

"We love them."

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**Okay, so this ended up being a quadruple-post, but I felt I needed to leave you guys with this little insightful tidbit. Short, but very telling, especially when you pay attention to the timeline. Hint: we're whizzing through this month, peoples…. Also, Lav's getting really confused about the situation and her feelings. Anyone else confused? For once, the author isn't, which is a miracle.**

**And so I take my bow for now. Until chapter 13, my dear audience, I bid you adieu and review.**

**-mew-tsubaki XD**

**P.S.-this chappie is dedicated to yellow 14. You're speedy reviews are encouraging! 13 is yours, too, okay?**


	13. Strenuous Time

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Strenuous Time**

**July Sixteenth, a Hazy Summer**

Well. That had been a _lovely_ evening.

…

I'm in a _jaunty_ mood, aren't I?

Grrr. I'd just gotten home from Che Graziano. As you might've guessed, I'd had dinner with Draco. But something…of interest, let's say, happened.

So we went to Che Graziano at our normal time, ordered our food and usual champagne, and enjoyed one another's company. For a while, at least.

I'd gotten up to use the loo about halfway through supper. It'd only taken about five minutes from table to washroom and back. But I'd taken an extra minute or so when I slowed near our table. Someone was in my seat, talking with Draco. A _female_ someone.

I only caught a glimpse of wavy, dark red hair and a navy cloak. I hid behind a booth on the other side and strained to hear them.

"…can't…come here to…stay…" Draco's voice hissed every few words in obvious anger.

"Not my fault…," the woman trailed off. Her next words came out clear: "Find where your loyalties lie."

Draco was silent for a moment. "Cook…baire said…"

"…mind him… Prince will…go now." Abruptly she stood and dashed out. She'd moved so fast it'd upped my pulse, but I'd returned to the table as soon as I'd calmed down.

Draco'd smiled at me when I sat beside him and leaned on his shoulder. "Already tired?"

"Yes," I'd answered, so he'd paid and we'd left and now I'm home again.

My stupid conscience was weighing in again, but I shoved those rational thoughts out of my mind and went to bed. Unfortunately when I awoke the next morning, those ponderings only returned.

Nothing unusual happened at Expresso Momento, and the day flew by at the bank, so nothing added to my stress. Oddly enough, a week flew by in much the same way. I was beginning to wonder if anything _would_ happen.

Then the twenty-fifth rolled in, along with that blob Pansy Parkinson.

Yeah, that's right. Pansy came back. Not necessarily groveling (which would've been nice), but she was begging, pleading, and trying to bribe me. Good thing I'm immune to bribes.

"F-f-f-f-f-f-f-for-forty-_thousand_?" I rasped. My heart stopped beating, I swear. "For two weeks?"

Pansy nodded. "I even half- have _half_ of it to give to you as down payment." She seemed really stressed as she put the bag on my desk. It thunked. "You… You were right. About being one of the few able to do this. No one would even hear me out."

My mind was still on forty-thousand. "H-How did you get this much?

"Some of it was savings, some of it from my job. Some… I sold some family heirlooms." She scoffed, but it lacked the normal Pansy better-than-you-ness. "Being a pureblood meant I had plenty of those."

That didn't sit right with me. "I know you can do math. You know this is too much for only fourteen days."

"Take it," she said, slightly shaking her head. "That's how much I want him back."

Okay. Ouch. I got that icky taste in my mouth. I leaned towards what Draco said about not seeing her for years, but the look on her face made me waver. Had I really stolen him from her? Or…Agh, I dunno!!

"Will you do this?"

On one hand, I was spying on my boyfriend. On the other hand, he was evil and I was pretty good at this spying thing. Heaving an inaudible sigh, I crossed my arms. "…All right. I'll try not to disappoint you when you return in two weeks' time."

Pug-face regained some hope in her expression. She stood and gripped her purse, her long white coat sleeves covering her hands. "I'll see you then." She nodded to me and left.

So now I was rehired. But what was I going to tell her when my time was up? I didn't want her bothering him at work, but I knew I shouldn't tell her about my suspicions. Even I had a hard time handling them.

Them… Where to start? I definitely believed that Draco was the mastermind of this attack, though it was obvious he wasn't the ringleader. So let's review our other candidates:

Blackbaire. Tall, dark, and butt-ugly. Greasy, wavy black hair. Dark, probing eyes. Bad teeth. Wears dark brown and coal gray, and probably bathes once a month. Can't forget the Dark Mark, either. Now, he comes off as dim, but he knew that Draco didn't like public threats. That and it seems like Blackbaire was the ferryman for Draco's orders.

Cook. The redheaded woman in the navy cloak. She seemed smart. Unfortunately, I'd never gotten a look at her face. Definitely smart on that account. However, she, too, had approached Draco and incited some anger. If she could manipulate emotions, certainly she could be the maestra behind the operation?

Prince. Hmm. Didn't know much here. Was that a surname? Was it a title, like Snape as the Half-Blood Prince from my sixth year? And was Prince male or female? To tell you the truth, Prince was only on the list since I'd heard the name.

Then there was the short, freckled woman with the brown bob. She always wore sunglasses, so I didn't get a clear shot of her face. She also seemed too comfortable surrounded by Muggles, so as a Death Eater –never mind. Draco proved that point wrong, being a pureblood wizard himself.

Of course, Merlin knows how many more there were in the ranks. It's probably someone I know nothing of who's the leader. Until I could learn better about them, I had no idea what type of minefield I was entering. But learning about them was easier said than done. It's not like Death Eaters gathered in a club so anyone who wanted to join could-

Idea. What if learning was that easy?

Don't worry, I'm not going to get caught up in some Death Eater nest. But I was learning of Draco straight from Draco himself. I figure I could apply the same idea to his Dark Wizard buddies. Ooh… Hmm… Lessee… I'll need that and that spell…

Oh? You wanna know my plan? Heh. It's standard spy-tech.

While I can't bank on one of Draco's "acquaintances" turning up the very next day or dinner date, I'll stay one step ahead. That way, when I do see one of them I can follow them. Though… I don't know how I'll slip Draco if one _does_ turn up on our date…but I'll be positive! Yes! Positive! The key to success is in an optimistic look on life!

… Oh, boy. I sound like a self-help book.

Anyway, I've got to be prepared, because when and if I barge in, I may not get out. …Yikes. So much for a vote of confidence.

* * *

**Hmm. So much for me taking a break. Jeez, you guys are lucky. I really thought I wasn't going to have any time at all, and for once a glorious open Monday was dumped into my lap. So here are 13 and 14. I hope you enjoy them and review!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S.-this chapter's dedi is to yellow 14 –I promised, right? :)**


	14. Revealing a Mask

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Revealing a Mask**

**July Twenty-Ninth, a Broiling Summer**

So. Here we are –Expresso Momento.

Currently I'm in a disguise of black hair and dark brown eyes with a narrow nose. Yeah. So not me.

But as I watch the freckled woman dart her eyes not so discreetly around the shop, I realize that's someone else who's out-of-place today. Although, I understand her nervousness. It's unlike Draco to skip his mocha latte in the morning.

Finally she gave up and paid. I followed suit and pursued her outside. I managed to follow her to the end of the street. Then she disappeared. She just…disappeared. Now, when you're used to magic and all it entails, it's a little hard to be surprised. I know I haven't seen it all, but I've seen most of it, and this… This left me speechless.

I closed my gaping mouth and ran a hand through my hair. I'm beginning to think I really do suck as an investigator.

As I stood there debating my capabilities, a man bumped into me. It brought me back to reality, and so did Draco's face. There were severe bags under his eyes.

"I'm very sorry, miss," he said, and then he ducked into the coffee shop.

I was a little shocked that Draco hadn't paid more attention after apologizing. I mean, my disguise wasn't ugly; I was very pretty. Huh. I wonder if Draco couldn't let his eyes wander because he had me. Ooh, I like that thought.

I went back to the coffee shop just in time to see Draco get his drink and go. Well. It seemed like everyone was in a hurry today.

Work at the bank that day was brief and tense. The one time I did see Draco, he was taciturn and distracted. I wondered by what. Never before had I seen him like this. And it was not the last time I would.

Over the next four days, the bags under his eyes grew and he said less and less, even when I was with him as myself. I felt awful because I couldn't help him. I didn't even know what the problem was, but I instinctively knew it dealt with his Death Eaters.

"Draco." I interrupted his thoughts at dinner Sunday night. We were at the Steak Place that night, eating steak tips and chips. I'd put my napkin on the table. "Why are you so tired?"

"I'm not tired," he lied, watching his knife and fork work to cut the meat.

"You have dark circles under your eyes."

"I'm fine, Lavender." He ate some food and still refused to look in my eyes.

"Why won't you tell me your troubles?" I have to admit –truthfully, his clamming up hurt.

"Why should I have to tell you anything?" he snapped. When I didn't speak, he met my gaze and regret seized him. "Lav, I didn't mean-"

"It's what loved ones do," I cut off. Yes, his words had hurt, but I'm a strong woman.

He dropped his eyes and sighed. "But don't you wonder what makes us love each other?" Draco thought aloud.

Ungh. Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I may be a strong woman, but that tore me. He… He was right. Why _did_ we love each other? Was it even love or just mere attraction? For me, it had always been that inexplicable something in his aura that'd pulled me to him and told me it was love between us. But now I questioned it. If I loved him, why didn't I know why?

Shakily I stood. I fumbled with my purse and left enough money to cover my food, though in doing so I knew that would hurt his male pride. But I wanted to just get out of there at that point.

"See you," I mumbled over my shoulder. I ducked my head as I left the place.

I could hear his footsteps behind me. "Lavender! Lavender, stop! Lav!!"

I continued on, picking up my pace. I was afraid that if I saw his face, I would give in and let him make nice. But this was too big an issue, because it's what defines a relationship.

"Lav, _stop_!!" Draco caught my arm, shrinking back when I shook my head and sent my braid flailing. "Lavender, can you-"

"No!" I Disapparated as soon as he let me go.

* * *

**A bit of a sad note, but it's been a month since they had that little kinda-I-love-you exchange, and almost two months since they started dating. Besides, something's bothering Draco –but you'll find out what in the next few chappies. 15, however, is the longest chapter (longer than 11) and I just need to finish typing it up. It will reveal a lot and 16 reveals some stuff, too, so you CANNOT miss 15 OR 16, okay?!! It's central to the story!!!**

**So go review!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	15. A Stupid Move

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: A Stupid Move**

**August Fourth, a Damp Summer**

Ugh, bloody rain. When I Apparated home last night, it'd begun raining and had yet to let up. Which only further dampened my mood.

I was angry. Angry at Draco for his behavior. Angry because he was right. Obviously we weren't together for the sex. We hadn't done it yet. Maybe we were together because we'd once kind of known each other from school. Maybe… Maybe he'd said it because he didn't have the same feelings I did…

No! That's not it! I could look in his amazing cloud gray eyes and read the tenderness for me in them. That was the only thing Draco couldn't hide, no matter the effort he made to do so.

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind as I made the nearly daily adventure to Draco's office in the bank as Cori Marshall. It was hard to see over the large stack of papers I carried, but I made it to the office without creating a mess. "Mr. Hauffman-" I stopped when I recognized Blackbaire's voice.

"Final touches." I saw Blackbaire grin –ugh –after I put the papers on Draco's desk. "Prepare for it now?"

"Release it to the entire group this weekend." Draco scribbled something and passed it to me. "The crew will have two weeks after to prepare. Then we will commence."

Blackbaire nodded. "I'll tell you how it goes next week." He left then, and I watched his cloak flow behind him as Draco piled more forms in my arms.

"You can take these back down," Draco said after another minute.

I only nodded as I went down the hall. I took the elevator down, dropped the paperwork off to my coworkers, dashed into the bathroom, revived Cori, put on a different disguise, and zoomed to the staircase. Damn. Empty.

I exited the bank and circled around to where the stairs poured out onto the street. I squinted in the light of the setting sun. Damn. Everything was beginning to look like shadows-

There he is.

I hustled down the side steps, my hair whipping loosely behind me. I walked in trainers, jeans, a T-shirt and inconspicuous sunglasses. A purse hung at my side, so I looked like the average tourist or resident.

Lucky for me, Blackbaire was walking most of his way. The few times he spoke with a passerby, I took a second to crouch somewhere and amend my looks,so he wouldn't realize the same woman following him for, say, TWENTY BLOCKS. Endurance training helps here, folks.

Another five blocks and three disguises later, I followed Blackbaire into a deserted (kinda) and rather barren section of the city. I also wasn't paying too much attention, but I'm pretty sure we'd left Brighton, by the way. We were probably in Hove by now.

Off a side street, Blackbaire took a winding path. It was rough and beaten, and reminded me very much of Knockturn Alley –only nicer. I put a little more distance between the Dark Wizard and me, observing him very closely. He was heading into a building that looked dilapidated, but I saw it was something of a club when he slipped inside.

For my next disguise I changed into –myself. Yep, you heard me. If there was one thing I'd learned in all my Auror years, it was that the bad guys were as smart as (and sometimes smarter than) the good guys. If I had a disguise done by magic, they were going to have wards around their hideout to disable the illusion. So remember when I was preparing for my tailing?

I drew out a white top, hair sticks, a heavy black choker, an eyebrow pencil, and color contacts. I stayed in my dark denim jeans and black boot while I changed. I wasn't very long. The last thing I did was twist my hair up and shove the hair sticks in. There. I didn't look very much like Lavender Brown now.

I took the same path Blackbaire had mere minutes ago, and I faltered a bit when I stood in front of the door. No sounds –not even the tiniest creak –could be heard, so I wondered if I was doing the right thing. My question was answered when the door was cracked open. "May I help you?" the person asked in a gender-neutral voice.

"I've heard of the club. I want in," I said, surprising at how strong my voice came out considering how weak I felt.

All I could see was a pair of eyes staring coldly at me from underneath a headscarf. The eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I put my hand on the door as the person tried to close it on me. "I get it. You can tell right off that I'm a half-blood. But I hate the mudblood side of me. That's why I want to work for…a _worthy_ cause." The words felt like viscous, moldy treacle tart pudding on my tongue, but the fact that I could say them so easily sent an icy chill up _and_ down my spine.

The person must've seen and bought the fake glint in my eye, for I was whirled inside. And suddenly it felt like midnight. Oh, shit.

Inside the decrepit building was barely a light. Candles floated in the ceiling –like a bastardization of Hogwarts' Great Hall –with purple light, spotted her-and-there with blood red wicks. It was an eerie feeling that added to my fear from being surrounded by Dark Wizards. And there were a _lot_.

The space was a combo tavern/pub/club, and it _crawled_ with Death Eaters. The fifteen or twenty tables were full of them, the bar was lined with them, and they damn near covered the small dance floor set aside for those young enough to still enjoy music.

I knew my mouth hung open for a moment, but I quickly got over the shock from the scene. "Nice and foreboding. I like it."

"Where'd you say you'd heard of this place?" the turban person asked.

I forced a smile. "From a friend."

"That friend of yours have a name?"

I gulped. Yeah, I know, so I hadn't thought this far into the game! "Yes, my friend does." Not a lie, mind you –just a half-truth.

"He here?"

I was contemplating my death if I tried to run when a guy a little older than me interrupted. "Ah, there you are. Glad you could make it."

The turban person seemed to approve of my companion, because he (she?) walked away and returned to the post by the door.

"Thank you." I eyed my savior a little better now, though it was hard to do in the dim light. He was certainly older than me, by at least five or so years, with coarse black hair cropped short and cold gray eyes. His crooked smile looked as if it had been fixed a long time ago. The man was muscular and tall, and he would be good-looking if he didn't have a menacing air about him.

"So who did I just save?" he asked as he led me away from the door and to the bar counter.

I groped around in my dusty memory for a name. Just because I'd stated I was a half-blood didn't mean I could call myself Lavender Brown. Not to mention if I did so, it'd get back to Draco. So I knew that pulling up an uncommon pureblood name would be my only way in. "Thomasine Max."

"Marcus Flint," he stated, and I shook his beefy hand. "Few Maxes, but trustworthy. Wait –they could only be half at best."

My mouth had gone dry at hearing his name. Merlin, this was the Quidditch behemoth from Hogwarts. I swallowed my fear. "You got me. I'm a half-blood, but I hate that mudblood woman who gave birth to me. So I did some snooping and found a cause that I believe in." Oh, god –Hermione, you _know_ I don't mean to say that wicked word! Merlin forgive me!

Marcus nodded. He definitely liked that. "It's always good to hear a witch come to her senses."

_Yeah,_ I thought, _and I'll help _you_ come to your senses with a swift kick between the legs._ Don't worry. I didn't do it, I just pondered the idea. … I'll do it later.

"Oi, Nott. Get the lady a drink," Marcus –nah, he's more of a Flint, anyway –Flint told the wizard behind the counter. A couple of seconds later, the wizard was placing a firewhiskey in front of me.

"First one's on the house," Nott said with a brief, half-hearted grin. He was tall (almost as tall as Flint), wiry, thin, and had brown hair and dark blue eyes. Those same eyes stayed on me, reading me –or at least trying to. So I guess I–

Oh my. I just recognized him. He's Theodore Nott, from Slytherin house, like Flint. Only Nott had been my classmate, and a confidant of Draco's. Though he never said much, I'd always gotten the impression that he was as clever as, if not more than, Draco. So the fact that he was trying to read me was _NOT_ good!

"Theodore Nott," he said with a small tip of his head.

"Thomasine Max," I replied softly. Maybe it was his eyes, maybe it was that itchy feeling from him watching me, but I felt suddenly…I'm not quite sure, actually. I couldn't even figure out if the emotion was positive or negative.

"So Macnair's getting ready to make a big speech, I think," Flint told Nott. "He called a meeting with Elaine and Prince, so they're probably figuring it out the rest of the details. Malfoy's done a good job, helping us infiltrate."

"Don't go shooting your mouth off." Nott said it to Flint, but he was looking at me. It made me wonder if he knew "Thomasine" was a fake. He finally dragged his gaze to meet Flint's. "It's premature to think we're winding down our program."

"But everyone gets a part in the program?" I piped up. "I'd hate to miss out on the action."

This drew Nott's attention back to me, but Flint grinned. "A woman after me own heart. So you like the action, then?"

Uh… "Yes," I said, not knowing what else to do.

"Then look no further," the behemoth stated. So he regaled me for the next several unending hours with stories of his Dark Wizard "heroics" and his Quidditch victories. I listened to his entire Quidditch history and his tale of becoming a true Death Eater after Hogwarts. Nott gave me another firewhiskey at some point, and I nursed it until what I thought was Flint's end. Well, it wasn't.

"Getting on the radar isn't enough for me. I want to be-" Flint abruptly stopped (which I silently cheered). "Hell. That damn woman decided to join up." I followed his line-of-sight and saw a grown up Millicent Bulstrode. "I'll catch you both later," Flint hastily mumbled, getting up and disappearing in the shadows.

I raised an eyebrow and Nott shrugged. "Ex," he said, and I nodded.

"The attack –will it work?" I asked.

"Doubtful," Nott observed of me. "You're still new to this. Well, I am, too, but I think it stands a fair chance. We've learned from our predecessors' mistakes, and our numbers are stronger now. We could do it." He waited an odd beat. "You sure you belong here? You seem like something else is on your mind."

I frowned, thinking of Draco. "No. Nothing on my mind." I stood and went to pay when Nott shook his head.

"I told you, on the house."

"Thank you, Nott."

"It's Theo, Thomasine."

I nodded and left. When I was back in Brighton, I felt I could breathe again. Flint, Nott, Prince –I realized, with horror, that "Cook" was "_Rook_wood" and "Blackbaire" was "Macnair". My breath left me. Here I was, Lavender "Thomasine Max" Brown, without a clue as to what to do.

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**Man, it's been so long since I updated anything. I mean, I have a new HariPo one-shot up, and I now have **_**THREE**_** forums up PLUS a C2 –and I still managed to get two term papers done. …I still can't believe it's only April!**

**But here's a double-post for my most faithful readers/reviewers: azab, yellow 14, and BlueMango! I love you guys –let's keep supporting Dracovender! (Or at least peruse Nott's possible smexiness, right, BlueMango? XD)**

**So review please!**

**-mew-tsubaki :D**


	16. Ole Blue Eyes

**Lavender Brown's Requiem**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

**Note: This is **_**very **_**loosely based on the movie **_**Brown's Requiem**_** with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 16: Ole Blue Eyes**

**August Seventh, an Impending Summer**

So. Macnair was still alive.

My revelations from three days ago still frightened me. All this time, it'd been Macnair walking blithely into the bank to piss off Draco. And Prince was definitely a leader. And this Elaine woman was up there, too. And the "Cook" woman who'd bothered Draco at the restaurant was a Rookwood.

And I'm miserable because I haven't seen Draco since Sunday. Not because of the crimes about to happen, but because I haven't seen _his_ sorry arse for four days.

Okay, it's not that I haven't _seen_ him, but you know what I mean. I haven't been Lavender for a while. I've pretty much been Thomasine Max the past three days. I haven't even been Cori for a while. Might as well let her live her own life for now.

At the D.E.N. (Death Eaters National [Association]), I played my part and partially listened to Flint. Nott helped me out a bit by saving me from Flint's numerous long-winded talks, but I was careful not to be alone around him. Yes, he was one of two people I could relax around (the other being Flint), but I could never be my self entirely with Nott. I got the feeling that he knew more than he let on.

One curious thing –Pansy'd earlier given me two weeks. It's been more than _three_. I wondered where she was. I mean, I spied on Draco a bit, but it rubbed me the wrong way, that she'd all but disappeared.

"It's official," Flint told Nott and me as we left the D.E.N. that night. "Everyone has to attend tomorrow's and Saturday's meetings. Prince, Elaine, and Macnair are going to assign tasks and locations, and I guess we're moving in by the end of the month." He playfully nudged my shoulder and slapped Nott's back. "So rest up, you two. This weekend's a big one." We said good night and Flint Disapparated, leaving me in my least favorite position: alone with Nott.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered truthfully. Only I was nervous from him being alone with me, not so much the attack.

I sensed his eyes roving over me, thinking, but I was semi-used to this by now. He dropped his gaze to the pavement. "Don't be. But also try not to fail in whatever part you get." He frowned. "Failure's not an option."

I frowned, too. It really wasn't an option for me, because my life depended on it. "I have to ask –who's Prince?"

Nott did his trademark half-grin that was certainly lackluster. "Her name's Dimaena Prince. She's the leader of our cause. Elaine Rookwood's her second-in-command, and Macnair's the grunt man. We're just the minions, I s'pose."

"You told me I seem out of place. You seem that way, too." I knew I was treading dangerous ground here, but I was curious. It's the sign of a good PI.

His face hardened. "I'm loyal to the cause." Yet it sounded like a blatant lie. Regardless, he decided to part ways with me then. He looked down into my eyes. "But remember –you're the peculiar one here, Thomasine."

"Good night, Theo."

"Good night, Thomasine."

I found I didn't feel as icky as before, when first meeting him. I stopped by Expresso Momento for a nighttime treat and headed to the park near Draco's. I'd taken my violet-colored contacts out as soon as Nott left, so I was just Lav for once. As I walked through the park like your regular passerby, a caw sounded in my stake-out tree.

I turned and met the raven's knowing gaze.

Automatically, I glared at it. "No need to spy on me, Draco," I hissed at it. "I'm a big girl." And then I felt like a little girl for saying that. I took one last look at it and Apparated home.

At home, I gathered my notes on this entire and hid them in a secure place. Since I had time, I cleaned my place. When I was done… I felt empty. I didn't have anything to do but sleep. So I decided to hit the hay early.

Except my mind wouldn't turn off. My imagination ran wild, considering all that was going on. I was thinking about Draco, dating him again. I was dreaming of being in his arms, looking up into those navy eyes-

Wait a minute. I shot up in bed. _Navy_ eyes? As in, navy _BLUE_ eyes?!

Without warning, Nott's face came to mind, and my cheeks burned. Great, just because he's bothersome, I can't get him out of my head.

I got up and stared at the stars through my window. Eventually, I went back to bed and fell asleep. I only saw gray eyes.

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**Awww, poor Lav! But Nott's got me thinking, peoples… I have all these ideas for him, but I don't know what to do with them! Maybe I should make this story longer than I first imagined? Does anyone want that? … Does anyone want more of Nott? (Besides you and me, BlueMango!)**

**Review and cast your vote! And go visit my forums, too! XD**

**-mew-tsubaki**


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